1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a putter, and more specifically relates to a practice putter.
2. Background Art
The use of putters for golfing is well known. Moreover, it is well known to practice putting by striking a golf ball with a putter, and then attempting to correct a golfer""s putting stroke by viewing the results of the putt. For example, practice greens are often used for this purpose.
The use of putting aids to teach golfers correct form during putting is also known. Such putting aids have typically been devices that are removably secured to the head of a putter. More particularly, some such devices have included a pair of parallel guide members that extend from the face of a putter.
Prior putting aids have not sufficiently indicated the wide variety of flaws that may occur in a golfer""s putting stroke. For example, putting aids that secure a pair of parallel guide members to a putting head will not indicate problems that occur in the latter part of a putter""s forward stroke. Also, such putting aids do not sufficiently indicate problems with a golfer""s back strokexe2x80x94even if a golfer""s back stroke veers, causing the parallel guide members to strike the golf ball, the golf ball may not deflect significantly because the surfaces of the guide members are substantially parallel to the direction that the putter is moving. If the golf ball does not deflect significantly, the golfer may not even know that the parallel guide member struck the ball.
Accordingly, a need exists for a practice putter and a practice putter head that will reveal the wide variety of possible putting stroke flaws. According to the present invention, a practice putter head includes a substantially flat centrally located sweet spot, and a pair of surfaces that will deflect the golf ball when various flaws occur in a putter""s stroke. In one embodiment, the putter head has a putting surface that includes a centrally located sweet spot, a proximal end, and an opposing distal end. A distal claw defines an inner distal claw surface that extends forward from the distal end of the putting surface and extends proximally, and a proximal claw defines an inner proximal claw surface that extends forward from the proximal end of the putting surface and extends distally. If the golfer""s stroke is flawed, the distal claw or the proximal claw, rather than the sweet spot, will strike the golf ball. Because the inner distal claw surface and the inner proximal claw surface are not parallel to the direction of movement of the putter head, if those surfaces strike the golf ball, the golf ball will be deflected significantly, thereby revealing the flaw in the golfer""s stroke.
The putter head may also include a distal surface inclining from the distal edge of the sweet spot and a proximal surface inclining from the proximal edge of the sweet spot. Some flaws in the golfer""s stroke are not adequately detected by the inclusion of the claws alone because the golf ball still passes between the claws without being deflected. For example, if the golfer rotates the putter near the end of the forward stroke, the golf ball may have passed through the claws before the flaw occurs. If the golfer""s stroke is flawed, and the golf ball passes between the proximal claw and the distal claw, the golf ball will strike the inclined distal surface or the inclined proximal surface. Thus, the flaw will be revealed to the golfer. Alternatively, the putter head may include the inclined proximal surface and the inclined distal surface, but not include the proximal claw or the distal claw.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.